Head of AI
First AI hire — or first leadership hire into an existing AI function. You own strategy, hiring, and the first 18 months of delivery.
Head of AI mandates in the GCC fall into two patterns. The first is the founding hire — you walk into a business that has decided AI matters, has signed off a budget, and now needs someone to define what "AI capability" actually means inside their organisation. The second is a leadership-replacement mandate inside an existing function of 10–25 engineers.
Both are exposed. You report to a C-level or to a senior VP one step from it, and your first 12 months will be judged on visible delivery. Most clients want a builder, not a strategist.
What you'll typically own
- Set AI strategy for the function and translate it into a 12–24 month delivery roadmap.
- Hire — typically 6–15 engineers in year one, against a competitive regional market.
- Own the executive narrative. You are the AI lead in the room with the CEO and the board.
- Make the build-vs-buy calls. Sovereign LLM vs hyperscaler. Internal platform vs vendor.
- Partner with risk, legal, and compliance — particularly inside banks and government-adjacent entities.
Profile fit
Must have
- 10+ years engineering with at least 4 in AI/ML leadership.
- Previous experience hiring and managing AI teams of 6+.
- Demonstrated technical credibility — you can still read a paper and review architecture.
- Executive communication — comfortable with board-level conversation in a culture that values relationship and protocol.
- Delivery track record — at least one system you led, from zero to production, at meaningful scale.
Nice to have
- Prior GCC, Middle East or wider EMEA leadership experience.
- Arabic language capability — useful in KSA, advantageous in UAE.
- Background spanning both research and production — most candidates have one or the other.
- Experience in regulated domains (finance, healthcare, government / sovereign).
Indicative package
Total fixed monthly base, tax-free. Long-term incentives are typical at this level — phantom equity in PIF-backed entities, RSU equivalent inside G42 portfolio. Sign-on bonuses are common for buyout of vested equity.
| UAE · AED · per month | KSA · SAR · per month | |
|---|---|---|
| Head of AI (10–15 yrs) | AED55,000–75,000/mo | SAR60,000–80,000/mo |
| Senior Head (15+) | AED75,000–95,000/mo | SAR80,000–105,000/mo |
| Bonus typical | AED30–40% | SAR30–40% |
USD equivalent: approximately $180,000–$340,000 per year before bonus and LTIs.
Location & corridor
KSA
Riyadh almost exclusively. On-site 5 days. Some travel to NEOM or Jeddah depending on portfolio.
UAE
Abu Dhabi (sovereign, defence-adjacent, AI labs) and Dubai (commercial, fintech, real estate AI). On-site 4–5 days standard.
Visa & relocation
Executive-level sponsorship. Schooling placements at international schools, spouse work authorisation, and trailing-spouse career support are negotiated as part of the package. Relocation typically covers business-class flights, 60–90 days serviced accommodation, full shipping, and a settling-in allowance.
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